And they all lived
by fictiongirl8
Summary: Picks up after season 2 finale when Deacon gives Rayna the ring. All chapters are named after songs if you want to look them up. More chapters to come, please comment for any suggestions that would help better my story!
1. Chapter 1: Two Rings Shy

Chapter 1: Two Rings Shy

And just like that he was gone again. Like he had been so many times. Except one thing was different. This time, the power to bring him back was sitting right in the middle of her hand in the form of a silver ring. Rayna could still feel the blistering heat left on her lips from his kiss and she leaned back on the counter to steady herself. It was all too much. Luke, his proposal in front of all those people, Deacon his proposal, his kiss. In some ways it was funny how the events of tonight played out. Luke had gotten her a gorgeous flashy and expensive ring that could probably also function as the anchor for the Titanic. Deacon had given her the ring that represented their long and complicated past, it had endured hard times but yet survived them, much like they had themselves. It didn't have a big fancy diamond sitting on top of it and he most likely didn't take a trip to Tiffany's to pick it out. Luke had proposed in front of an audience, including a few viewers who might've wished they'd been spared the production, Teddy specifically. Deacon had come here and said how their supposed to be a family, him, her, and their girls. Maddie didn't seem too thrilled on the car ride home and Daphne wasn't her usual chatty after show self talking about how cool the show was and everything. She wasn't saying that his proposal wasn't thoughtful or she would've said no had they not been in front of all those people but it definitely was going through her mind at the time. She didn't think he should've ambushed the girls like that and it seemed like he was claiming his territory by doing in front both her exes. And when you've got a lot riding on an album that just dropped maybe it's not the best idea to say no to the King of Country in front of a couple thousand people. She decided nothing was going to resolve all of this in one night so she headed upstairs. Rayna checked both of the girls rooms and their were soundly asleep, she kissed them goodnight and went to her room. She glanced at the ring on her finger and weighed the other in her hand before deciding to take both off and putting them into her jewelry box. While closing her eyes she hoped maybe she'd wake up and it all wouldn't be real, but she couldn't decide if it would be her dream or nightmare and that's what scared her.


	2. Chapter 2: Choices

Rayna woke up to the sound of her phone ringing so hard she was sure it was going to explode. The assault on her ears stopped for a moment and she saw she had countless voicemails from the press and various media outlets begging for a comment, exclusives for the wedding, photography rights. Then there were a few missed calls from Bucky, tons of congratulatory texts, and a call from Luke, nothing from Deacon. She decided to call back Luke first and all shoved all the other stuff to the back of her mind.

"Morning babe, I've missed you, I'm sorry I had to run out on you last night, but maybe we could get together for dinner and introduce the kids since all of mine are in town?"

"You know that sounds great but it's Teddy's weekend and I've been taking them from him an awful lot for all these shows and I really don't wanna push him too far this weekend."

"Course, I understand you gotta respect his time, maybe just you and me then?"

"All this is just a lot, this war with Jeff, the album, last night, I got people asking who I'm gonna wear and when and where and a million different questions I have even had a second to think about and I just need to clear my head and get away from it all and take a breath for a moment otherwise I think I'm gonna lose it."

"I know you've been stressed and I guess I didn't really help you out with that, so maybe you and I should just take a jet, get away for the weekend and let things settle down."

"That's real sweet, but your kids just got into town and I don't want to leave them high and dry so you spend your time with them I know how hard it is to get that nowadays. I think I'm just gonna go to this spa and retreat 'bout an hour outside of Nashville, massages, body scrubs, and no business."

"Okay babe, but I'm gonna be missing you like hell, enjoy yourself, I love you."

"Me too."

With that she hung up. She felt guilty, but she it didn't seem fair to say it to him because she wasn't exactly sure if she really meant it in the way you're supposed to mean it when you say it to someone. She called Bucky next because she really needed someone to handle all the business for Highway 65 if she was going to think clearly about the situation.

"Rayna, I've been calling you all morning, the album sales are through the roof, you're already charting number one on iTunes and Will Lexington hasn't even broken the top twenty! But I've getting calls all over town, everyone wants in on the royal country wedding."

"Look Bucky I need you to hold down the fort, push whatever business meetings you can, make whatever decisions have to be made and call Tandy if there's an issue."

"Rayna, you can't just take a break when everything's starting to get crazy, a lot needs to be done, we need to meet artists, promote the album, respond to this media craze."

"Two days, two days, that's all I need, it can all wait until then. I have faith in you."

She hung up before he could answer. She grabbed a bag and quickly packed some clothes and texted Teddy that she was dropping off the girls in the next hour.

"Maddie, Daphne! I need y'all to get up and get you're bags ready we're leaving for your dad's real soon!"

Maddie came storming out of her room and stomped down the stairs.

"Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed, good morning to you too sweetie. I made some breakfast for you and then you gotta get dressed and ready for your dad's."

"There you go again, always dictating my life and making decisions for me."

"Hey, I don't know what this is about but you know it's your dad's weekend and he's excited to see you."

"That's because my time is always split! With you, with daddy, with Deacon, and now I'm supposed to have another dad just because you say so! Luke will never be my dad and I'm not okay with it!"

"Lowe your voice, your sister is upstairs. I know this is all confusing and it's really complicated, but I promise I'm going to think about all this and what's best for you and this family before I make any decisions about our future. Now go on and get your bag together."

She rolled her eyes in a way that takes serious teenage angst to master and went upstairs.

"I love you too!" Rayna shouted to her.

In thirty minutes they were in the car bags packed and running up the driveway to Teddy's door. They hurried inside and went to watch the movie Daphne had managed to get Maddie to agree to on the drive over.

"Y'all put the dvd in, I'll be there in a minute." Teddy called to them and then turned to Rayna and said, "We need to talk." Closing the front door behind him.

"I know what goes on in your relationships is your business but this is more than that now. But you need to seriously consider our daughters here when making this decisions because it's gonna affect them and if they're not okay with it then we're going to have a problem."

"You don't think I know that. You don't think they've been the first ones on my mind. I know this is going to affect them and I am going to do what's best for them like I've always done."

"Yeah, well I don't want them to get hurt in process of everything, no matter which way it goes."

"I know, you're just trying to protect them, that's all. Well, enjoy yourselves."

He smiled back and she walked back to her car. She check her phone and saw a text from Juliette.

_Bucky told me you were taking off for the weekend. You know I skipped my walk down the aisle once, too. I'm here if you need to talk._

Yeah, Juliette must be getting a kick out of this. Maybe now that the country music feed was buzzing about her own personal life, it'd move the spotlight away from Juliette's disastrous one. She tossed the phone into the back seat of her the car, the thinking the was going to need to start now.


	3. Chapter 3: Time After Time

It'd been about 45 minutes on the road and she'd made no progress on anything, but pretty much spent the drive listening to some good music on the radio. The exit for the spa was coming up and she was supposed to get off the highway, but for some reason she'd driven right past the sign that the GPS was directing her to follow. She drove on for another 20 minutes till she found the right exit and turned onto the concealed dirt road she'd gone down so many times before. She parked the car on the grass and looked out at the cabin. Memories flooded through her mind, each bringing a strong and powerful wave of emotions with them. She took a deep breath and walked onto the front steps. As she lifted up the welcome mat she hoped she knew Deacon well enough that he rarely changed his hiding spots. Fortunately the spare key was still there, she hadn't thought to bring hers because she really had no intention of coming here when she left. But for some reason her mind kept being drawn to this place, where a good part of her and Deacon's fate was decided. And before she knew it that rational part of her mind shut down and let her heart take the wheel and bring her here.

The inside wasn't much different than she remembered. It seems like Deacon had cleaned up from when he came out here after breaking up with Megan. There was a bookshelf of records and a record player on the coffee table, and a flash of her and Deacon dancing shot through her mind. She took out her phone and without even thinking it through, she was dialing his number.

"Ray?"

"I need you."

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the cabin."

"I'm leaving now."

"Deacon?"

"Yes, darling?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Rayna waited quite impatiently in the cabin, pacing around the living room, touching up the pillows for the hundredth time since she hung up that phone. She didn't know why she did it, or why she said it. The whole point of getting away was to be alone and think. She already contradicted the first part, being alone. And then the second part, thinking, which she had done none of when she called Deacon. While she was mentally scolding herself, Rayna heard the sound on tires rolling up onto gravel. Her heart stopped for a moment as she stepped out onto the front porch. It seemed like a lifetime passed when he got to her. She wanted to throw her arms around him and kiss him, and tell him that she was his, and she had decided, but she knew they things had to be said before that could happen.

"Funny how we always find our way back here, one way or another." He said to her.

"Yeah, I mean it all happened here. We loved each other, hurt each other, and we broke each other here. But somehow we're still standing."

"Ray, why am I here?"

"I love you. And I would just be lying to say I don't. And I thought I gave up on our family, on us, a long time ago. But then I see the way you look at Maddie and I wonder, what if. What if there's still a chance that we can still have that. But it works both ways. What if I take a chance and it ends up blowing up in my face, it's not just me who's going to get hurt. My girls have had a hard year as it is, I don't think I can put them through anymore."

"I know you're scared that something's going to happen to make us not work, but that's not possible as long as we fight for what we know is meant to be. And that's the problem, Ray. I let you fight for us for so long. You fought for me, for me to get sober, and you fought for our family by raising our daughter up so one day we can all be together as a family. And it's time for me to start fighting, too. And that's what I'm doing."

"I wanna say you're too late, Deacon. That I've moved on, that I've given my heart to someone else. But I can't. I don't think I've ever really gotten it back."

Rayna reached out and put her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Their lips weren't touching but the heat between them burned. They stayed like that for awhile, taking in the moment. Relishing in the freedom of just getting to be close to one another. Rayna moved to finally make contact, but Deacon stepped away.

"I'm sorry, Ray. I love you, but if we even want a chance in hell then we have to do this right from the start. Nothing standing in the way of being each other, no lies, no secrets, no one. And I can't kiss you while there's another man out there calling you his."

Rayna pouted her lips, in the hopes to offer a little persuasion.

"That didn't stop you last night did it."

"Well I had to make a statement darling, I needed my lips to do a little convincing for me. Glad to see they were successful."

"Damn straight they were."

Rayna's phone buzzed in the back pocket of her jeans. She took her arms off from around Deacon's neck and glanced at the screen. 4 missed calls from Luke.

"Luke's been calling me. I gotta call him and meet up in person, he deserves that much respect from me."

"Hey listen to me, if you're not ready to talk to him yet that's okay. If you need to time be ready to do that I'll be waiting right here, Ray."

"No, we've waited so long to be a family I don't want to waste anymore time. Besides it just wouldn't be right stringing him along like that, I gotta do this."

She dialed Luke's number, feeling a bundle of nerves and anxiety bubbling up inside her as it rang.

"Rayna, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine why what's wrong?"

"Well, I was going to go up and surprised you at the place you told me about but I called and they said you never checked in, then you weren't answering your phone and I got worried that something might've happened."

"I'm sorry, I'm okay."

"That's a relief, but where are you then?"

"Luke, we have to talk, can you meet me?"

"Rayna, what's going on?"

"I just need to talk to you in person."

"Fine, where am I going?"

She told him the address of a park a little ways out where they could get some privacy and the paparazzi wouldn't be anywhere near them. She hung up and took a deep breath.

"I should be heading out then."

"I'm here for you darling, and I'll be waiting when you're done."

"I love you."

He pulled her in and held her tightly to his chest and said, "I love you too."


	4. Chapter 4: I'm Coming Home

Rayna was sitting on a bench when she saw the headlight's of Luke's truck pulling onto the gravel. She heard the door slam and then the sound of his boots crunching as he walked towards her.

"What's going on? You run out of town and then you got me meeting at some old abandoned park in the middle of nowhere at midnight. Look I know things seem a little crazy but we don't have to make any decisions right away, there's no pressure, no rush. We can get through this, together."

A pit of guilt grew inside Rayna, knowing what she was about to do, knowing it was going to break him. But that was her problem. She always got so caught up in what everyone else needed that she put aside herself and once she realized what she really wanted, it was always too late. Sometime she had too, when it came to the girls she had to think of them before herself. But not something like this, not who she's gonna love and grow her family with, it wasn't something she was going to settle for.

"Luke, that's so sweet and thoughtful of you, and it's just one of the many things I love about you. But that's the problem, I love so many things about you, but I don't think I just love you. And you deserve someone who does, who's 100%, who's all in, and I don't think it's me. So I'm gonna have to give this back to you."

She slid the ring of her finger and put it in his hand, waiting for his response.

"I don't understand, I said I loved you and you said you loved me too. Did you not mean it?"

"I did mean it, Luke. But I don't love you in the way you're supposed to love somebody, in the way I know is possible."

"It's him isn't it. You try to move on, he comes crawling back. I try to build a future with you, he comes and drags you back to the past. He's just a drunk who doesn't know how to let go of what's not his anymore."

"Luke, this isn't about Deacon and me. You and I aren't meant for each other regardless if Deacon and I are. I shouldn't be with you because it's not right whether or not Deacon and I are right for each other."

He slapped her hard across her face, and stood frozen in a mix between shock and fear.

"Don't lie to my face! I know you're going to be running back to him. Do not lie to me! You know what, you and him deserve each other, you really do."

Tears began rolling down Rayna's face as she sprinted back to the car. Her hands were shaking badly and she was barely able to put the key in the ignition and drive away. She could hear Luke behind her, calling for her, but she was already gone. After ten minutes, when she was sure Luke hadn't followed her she pulled over to the side of the road. She put her face in her hands and let the sobs she had tried to contain in her chest release. Obviously she hadn't expected Luke to take it well, but she saw a different side of him to night, one the shook her to her core. She could still feel the sting across her cheek and felt her face swollen on the one side. Once she was composed enough to drive she headed back towards the cabin.

Rayna pulled up and saw Deacon sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch. She knew he'd take one look and her and see straight through her bullshit and know something was wrong.

"What the hell, Ray!" Deacon shouted once she stepped into the light of the front porch.

He put his hand up to her face, his fingers gently touching her cheek, "What happened, did he do this to you?" She lost it and the tears returned once again.

He pulled her in close to his chest whispering to her, "It's okay, I'm here, I got you."

"Rayna, what happened babe?"

"I told him and he just got so angry and…"

She felt his shoulders go rigid and saw his jaw tighten.

"You stay here and I'm going to-"

"No, Deacon please! Just stay here with me, it's over now." Rayna said trying to pull him closer to her.

"Deacon, babe, it's over okay. It's you and me now. Nothing's in our way anymore, now will you kiss me already."

He put her face between his hands and looked into her eyes. His lips crashed onto hers as she felt all their emotions coming to the surface and colliding. The pain of everything they'd been through seemed insignificant in the moment, as if maybe it was worth it in the end. In Rayna's mind she imagined how the feeling of one kiss healed her inside, what a whole lifetime would be capable of doing.

Before she knew it, her legs were wrapped around Deacon and he carried her off to the bedroom. As clothes were ripped off Rayna could hear the sound of buttons scattering across the floor.

"Ray, if you didn't like the shirt you could've just said so."

They both laughed as they became lost in each other, definitely making up for lost time. After as she lay wrapped in Deacon's arms it didn't take much for her to realize why he was so perfect for her. She felt safe and protected just lying there with him, like she had finally arrived home.


	5. Chapter 5: Wake Up Loving You

Rayna woke up to the light coming in through the bedroom window. At first she couldn't seem to remember where she was or how she had gotten there. Then as she looked around the events of the previous night unfolded. She recognized the quilt she was wrapped in and realized she was at the cabin. She thought maybe she had dreamt it all, her and Deacon, and also had a nightmare, her and Luke. She gently probed her cheek with her fingers, it was still pretty sore. She looked beside her expecting to see a sleeping Deacon, but instead found the sheets empty. Rayna opened the drawers of the dresser and pulled on one of Deacon's t-shirts. She inhaled deeply, Deacon's intoxicating scent giving her a feeling of comfort. She walked into the kitchen, hearing the clashing of pot and pans. On the counter were two plates piled high with eggs and bacon accompanied by two cups of steaming coffee. The kitchen was a mess with milk spilt on the counter and a cracked egg on the floor. Deacon's back faced her as he stood at the stove trying desperately flip an omelet over. Rayna snuck up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Well good morning to you too," Deacon said as he put the pan down, surrendering his omelet.

"Who going to eat all this food?"

"Well, I was thinking we could find a way to burn it off later," he replied charmingly.

"Hmmmmm, I think we worked up enough of an appetite last night to do the job."

"We can always do that again if we can't finish it all," he suggested as turned and planted a quick kiss on her lips.

"You know I gotta get back, pick up the girls, my little disappearing act is over."

"Nah, I think I like it better here having you all to myself."

"I like it that way too, but there's probably going to be hell to pay when I get back, I don't even want to think about the mess waiting for me when I get home."

"I gotta ask, Ray where do we stand? Are you engaged to me, are you with Luke, what's the story when we get back to the real world?"

"You got my heart, Deacon, you know that, but I don't think it's the best timing for everyone to know that. As far as Luke and me, I think our managers will have to discuss how to best present it to the press without getting into too much detail. You and I will lay low for awhile, I'll tell the girls about Luke tonight and we'll sneak around until I can tell them about us. You've gotta learn to be around Maddie and not let on anything, you know teenagers have like a radar for this stuff, you can't let her wear you down."

"I think I can do that," he said, letting out a laugh.

"Now are you get down on one knee already and put that ring on me or what?"

"I wanna give you this ring, Ray, it's always been yours. But I'm not doing that until everyone can know and we can be together in front of the girls, be a family, no sneaking around, no lying, just being a family."

"And that's why I love you."

"I love you too, darlin'."


End file.
